Hypertension, known as high blood pressure, is among the diseases that affect the whole life. Millions of high blood pressure patients do not know they have it. High blood pressure patients need to use medication for life and the cause of this disease cannot be found. But with a new 10-minute test, high blood pressure can be cured.
LEARNING THE CAUSE OF HIGH TENSION IN A FEW MINUTES
One out of every twenty cases is caused by aldosterone, a steroid hormone that causes salt retention in the body, thereby increasing blood pressure. Aldosterone is produced by small nodules of the adrenal glands located above the kidneys. Until now, detection of these nodules was possible only with a complex catheter examination, which is not ubiquitous and often unsuccessful. But a new test uses an injection of a radioactive dye that only sticks to aldosterone-producing nodules, followed by a CT scan. The nodules burn within minutes of the injection, revealing the obvious cause of the high blood pressure.
DISCONTINUE OR REDUCE MEDICATION
In a recent study, scientists included 128 people who had high blood pressure due to their high aldosterone levels. The study showed that in 78 patients – almost two-thirds – the condition was solely due to nodules of one of the adrenal glands. In these patients, the correct adrenal gland was removed by a surgery similar to that used to treat gallstones. Of the 78 patients who were operated on, 24 people managed to stop using the drug because their hypertensive condition disappeared. Other patients noticed a “significant” improvement in their condition, allowing them to at least halve the medication.
“CAN HELP MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE”
Professor Morris Brown, co-author of the study at Queen Mary University of London, said: “These aldosterone-producing nodules are very small and easily seen on a regular CT scan. When they burn within a few minutes of injection, the cause of the high blood pressure, which is often treatable, is revealed.” Because high aldosterone levels cause this condition in one in twenty cases, the new test could help millions of people around the world.
HYPERTENSION SYMPTOMS
- Frequent urination, especially waking up at night to urinate
- Blurred or double vision
- swelling in the legs
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness, fatigue, restlessness
- tinnitus
- nosebleeds
- Irregular heartbeat and heart pain
- Dizziness and headache